The present invention is directed toward a battery charger for cellular telephones and other portable electronic devices and more particularly, toward such a battery charger that is in the form of and resembles a conventional belt that is worn as an article of apparel.
Cellular telephones are no longer designed or used simply to make short or emergency phone calls. Today, many people use cell phones as their primary means of communication, as personal organizers, and as storage devices for electronic information. Many cell phones, commonly referred to as “smartphones” are capable of playing music and movies, taking pictures and movies, surfing the Internet, and sending and receiving email and text messages. The evolution from a simple emergency phone to a multiuse smartphone requires a correspondingly increased amount of power.
The average cell phone provides, on average, 2-12 hours of operating time before the cell phone battery needs to be recharged. Of course, the amount of time depends on the types of tasks the phone is required to perform. Tasks, such as surfing the Internet, sending email, or watching a movie, require substantially more power than simple telephone communications.
The cell phone is powered by a rechargeable battery, which is recharged with a cell phone charger that must be plugged into a 110 volt outlet or a 12 volt socket in an automobile. Although cell phones have evolved into more sophisticated devices, batteries have not. The result is that cell phone batteries frequently run out of power and require frequent recharging. A battery that is depleted or is in danger of depletion can create a problem for someone waiting for a call or email message or needing to make or finish an important call.
Recharging a cell phone using a standard battery charger (such as shown in FIG. 5) requires that the charger be plugged into an external power source and that the charger be plugged into the cell phone. The charging process requires that the user be at a place where there is an external power source. This can frequently pose a problem, depending on the location of the user. This can be particularly difficult if the person is traveling. In addition, the user generally needs to carry two separate chargers, one for the standard household outlet and one for the automobile charger. Furthermore, once a power source for charging the battery has been found, the user, if he or she desires to use the cell phone while it is charging, is then confined to the immediate surroundings of the power source. And while a power source may be available, the user may not have the time to wait while the phone is charging.
To alleviate some of the above problems, it has been known to carry extra charged batteries for a cell phone. This can be expensive and does not necessarily adequately solve the problem because all of the batteries will eventually be depleted and ultimately must be recharged.
It has also been proposed to include one or more larger external batteries in a carrying case that can be used to charge the cell phone battery when needed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,619,388 to Nana. Even further, it is has been proposed to incorporate batteries into various articles of clothing to be worn by the person for powering electronic devices. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,615 to Niecke. The belt worn batteries of Niecke could also conceivably be used to recharge the battery of a cell phone. None of these prior art systems is satisfactory as they are awkward to carry and can be unsightly.
There is, therefore, a need for a cell phone battery charger that can easily and inconspicuously be carried by a cell phone user and which can recharge the person's cell phone anywhere the person may be and at any time.